President Paul Kagame has said that Rwanda is a nation transformed in “heart, mind and body.” “Ours is a country that was torn apart by Genocide and divisions just a generation ago,” Kagame told thousands of delegates at a major Commonwealth summit in Kigali. He was addressing royals, government leaders, businesses, activists, youth and women representatives, as well as leaders of international bodies at the opening of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the first such gathering since the pandemic struck. Three-quarters of our population are young people with no memory of those events,” Kagame said, referring to the horrors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed the lives of over a million people in a space of 100 days. “Everything we do, including joining the Commonwealth in 2009,” Kagame said, “is aimed at making sure that our people are connected, included and forward-looking.” Rwanda became the second country after Mozambique to join the Commonwealth of Nations without any colonial links to Britain. Kagame is on Saturday set to take over from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the Chair of the Commonwealth for the next two years. “We are delighted that, through CHOGM, you have the opportunity to get to know us and we aim to repay that trust with many years of continued friendship,” he said. Opening the meeting on behalf of the Queen, Prince Charles paid a glowing tribute to Rwanda’s recovery from the consequences of the Genocide against the Tutsi. . “Coming to Rwanda for the first time, visiting the Genocide Memorial and speaking to survivors, Ive been overwhelmed by the resilience, grace and determination of the Rwandan people,” said the Prince of Wales, who arrived in the country on Tuesday, along with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Rwanda was also held up as an example on multiple fronts. “Today, Rwanda upholds so much thats extraordinary, as a centre of innovation, a world leader in womens empowerment, a growing hub for the green economy and a commitment to unite its future,” Prince Charles said. The royal couple on Wednesday visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where they paid tribute to victims and left a message that reads, “In everlasting remembrance of those who died in the Genocide against the Tutsi”. The memorial is the final resting place of over 250,000 victims. They also visited a model reconciliation village in Nyamata, Bugesera District, where they interacted with some survivors and perpetrators who live side by side in harmony. During his speech Friday, the Prince of Wales also thanked President Kagame and the people of Rwanda in general “for the most impressive preparations they’ve made”. “I know how difficult the decisions were to postpone this important gathering as a result of COVID and can only applaud Rwanda’s determination and patience in ensuring our gathering is successful, he added. The meeting was initially scheduled to take place in 2020 but it was postponed twice as the pandemic forced governments across the world to impose lockdowns and travel bans. This is the first CHOGM to be hosted by any African country since Rwanda joined the 54-nation association 13 years ago and the sixth to take place on the continent.
